Blackburn degree students liven up firm’s logo

1:20pm Monday 18th August 2008

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A TELECOMS company teamed up with degree students in order to get a new corporate identity.

Tony Raynor, managing director of Abbey Telecom, Ordnance Street, Blackburn, decided its existing logo needed reviving and started to look for a new designer.

But he thought the project could bring beneficial experience to a design student, as well as his business.

“I used to be a ‘Guardian Angel’ for East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, where I would help guide new businesses when they were setting up,” said Tony.

“Our new logo needed re-designing and I thought this is a great opportunity for a student to get hands-on experience with a real design brief.”

Tony contacted Mark Thistlethwaite, programme leader at East Lancashire Institute of Higher Education at Blackburn College. Mark thought the project would offer valuable exper-ience within the business studies module on the BA (Hons) Graphic Design course.

With £500 prize money also on offer, the students soon got to work.

The winner was second year student Michael Rochelle, from Ewood, Blackburn.

Tony, who judged the competition entries, was so impressed with the high standard of work he also picked two other ‘highly commended’ winners, Robert Blackburn who came second and Mark Fletcher who was third. The runners-up were also awarded trophies.

“I looked closely at the Abbey Telecom business, and what they were all about,” said Michael. “Mixing something iconic of business, such as a hand shake, with something the company specialised in let me create an identity that communicated the company’s values perfectly.”

Tony Raynor added: “We are now using the logo for our new corporate image and soon it will be prominently displayed on all our signage and marketing materials.”